Rewind 12 months and the mood surrounding Derby County was one of desperation and despair.
The Rams were battling hard against the threat of relegation from the Championship, whilst the very future of the club was up in the air. The EFL had hit the East-Midlands outfit with an eye-watering 21 point deduction after they entered administration.
Takeover bids from the likes of Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Erik Alonso and Chris Kirchner came and went with little success - the latter being installed by the club’s administrators Quantuma as a preferred bidder to complete a deal. That, however, fell through, leaving Derby staring at the very real prospect of going out of business.
Becoming in his own words an “unofficial spokesperson” for the club, current captain Curtis Davies has opened up on the feeling among the playing and coaching staff throughout what was a highly uncertain period. Speaking exclusively with Mirror Football , he said: “We had staff who didn’t know if they were going to keep their jobs.
“We had players who didn’t know if they’re going to be here next year. Everyone was in a similar situation so it was a case of supporting each other and trying to get the best out of one another.”
In the end, that togetherness in the East Midlands almost saw Derby pull off what would have been one of the greatest escapes from relegation in the history of the English game. “So we knew if we did do it, it was going to be a minor miracle with the group that we had. We were coming close at one point,” Davies said.
Who do you think will be promoted from League One? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Derby eventually finished 23rd and seven points away from survival and their sheer future was still under question. Just as it looked as though all hope was lost as Derby headed into their first season as a third tier club since 1986, Rams fan David Clowes stepped in last July to haul his boyhood club out of administration.
As soon as the deal was rubber-stamped by the club’s administrators, there was an immediate sense of “relief” according to Davies and he wasted no time in putting pen to paper on a contract extension at Pride Park.
“Ultimately, there was nothing strong enough to tear me away from what potentially was happening here because there was still things that in the background were still happening,” the 38-year-old said. “Fortunately, when David came in, things happened very quickly and it allowed us to step forward and negotiate a contract which we’re all happy with.
“To still be here in my sixth year at the club, it’s been a whirlwind six years but it’s part of my life now and the club’s been part of my life and a very big part of my life.”
The club’s recruitment team also got down to work - 18 players arriving at the club over the course of the campaign to bolster a squad that was down to the bare bones. One of those to arrive was former Swansea City and Bristol City midfielder Korey Smith.
Speaking to Mirror Football , he has suggested that the motivation of restoring Derby to their former glory was one of the reasons why he chose to turn down offers in the Championship to sign for the club. “Speaking to people, what the club had kind of gone through, I felt like I’d got to a stage in my career, I wanted to go somewhere where it felt like something to do something,” he said.
“If you do something special, it really would be special. That’s my aim while I’m at this club.”
The 32-year-old has already been taken aback by Clowes’ enthusiasm for the Rams since his arrival. “He’s obviously a Derby fan first and he wants the best for the club and that’s always I think as an owner, for the fans, for the players, that’s the best thing that can happen.
“He always comes to the games and we see him around and he’s a nice guy. He’s supportive of the lads and he gives the manager his full support. Everyone at the club and everyone around is really grateful for him and what he’s done. Obviously, we can do something special to repay him.”
Clowes’ passion for the club goes above and beyond most other owners. After completing a purchase of Derby, he has missed sitting in the stands and never coveted a place in the directors’ box. He was reluctant to give up his Pride Park season ticket.
It appears that he is not afraid of making footballing decisions however. A popular figure in the dressing room following his spell under former manager Wayne Rooney, Liam Rosenior was moved on in favour of former Rotherham boss and habitual promotion winner Paul Warne.
He enjoyed an instant impact with a run of just one defeat in 19 games in all competitions between October and January - their only loss being a Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool on penalties.The Rams boss has also had a big say at the training ground by installing a Win Wall and a Clean Sheet Wall - a collection of photos outside of the players’ meeting room displaying all of the side’s wins and clean sheets this term.
Whilst their form has faltered recently, there is still a focus within the Rams’ squad to get out of League One as quickly as possible - a fact not lost on Smith. The former Swansea man said: “Anything can happen, you just don’t give up. Either way, we’ve got to concentrate on the next game and if it’s to be playoffs, if it’s not, our aim is to get promoted whichever way it is. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a position to do that.”
Davies is not resting on his laurels though and is determined to restore the club to the second tier. “That’s what we all want [promotion]. That’s what we all need. I think there will still be some fans will just be happy to have a football club and would maybe say ‘if it doesn’t happen this year, maybe next year’. As a player, you’re always in a hurry, there’s no time to think about next year.”
After losing 2-0 to Fleetwood Town last weekend, the Rams now face a couple of key fixtures to get their battle for promotion firmly back on track. They take on playoff rivals Peterborough United this coming Saturday, whilst third-place Ipswich travel to Pride Park in a week.
Speaking about the upcoming run of games, Davies said: “It’s about us trying to get momentum whoever we play against. You’re always better striding into the playoffs rather than stumbling. If you stumble into it with a bit of disappointing form, maybe the team that maybe scrapes in there can maybe do a number on you.”
Smith is also keen for the side to make it and secure his own third personal promotion from League One. He was also part of the Swansea team to fall to Brentford in the 2021 playoff final and has since had his children constantly reminding him of that fact.
“Losing in the playoff final, I was actually on the bench that game so I was quite gutted and to be fair my little boys and that are like ‘when can you play at Wembley again?,” the midfielder says. “They’ve been saying it since the beginning of the season. I don’t know if it’s meant to be, maybe it’s meant to be. We’ll see.”
Davies would also relish the opportunity for another Wembley outing. The Englishman has a clutch of appearances at the national stadium, some more successful than others. He won promotion with Hull after beating Sheffield Wednesday in the playoff final, whilst he also scored in the Tigers’ FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal in 2014.
Asked if promotion would be among his career highlights, he is keen to reserve judgement but could change his mind should the Rams be successful in getting up.
“If it were to be at Wembley and you see all those Derby fans and see all those fans who have been following myself and the team over those six years where we’ve had the doom and gloom of missing in the play-offs - losing in the semi-finals, in the finals - to see them all lit up at Wembley, I think it would bring a different feeling,” he said.
With a handful of games to go, eyes will invariably move towards the final day clash with Sheffield Wednesday. The clash represents a fantastic parallel - the Rams only just managing to escape relegation after a 3-3 draw with the Hillsborough outfit back in 2021.
The full-time whistle triggered wild celebrations both inside Pride Park, whilst the players then moved to the car park to take in the adulation of supporters. If the Rams can match those scenes this time around, it would certainly represent a touching turnaround from the despair and desperation of 12 months ago.
